St. Paul daily globe. [volume] (Saint Paul, Minn.) 1884-1896, 1887-05-05
A REOTOR'S RASHNESs.
He Looks Upon the wife Of "a PARISH
Toner with Lustful Eyes.
And Pays the Penalty with HIS Life -
Details of the Tragedy.


Details of the shooting and killing of
Rev. G.. +. Silver at Grenada. Miss, on
APRIL %. are of an intensely interesting
character. A brief account or tine bare
facts was published in the GLOBE on the
day following. Rev. Mr.. Silver was the
rector of the Episcopal church Mt Grenada,
and Cant. w. p. Fowler who shot him,
was leading member of his church.
The assault took place at Capt. Fowler'S
house. where the rector was boarding. 1t
was almost the Quietest hour OF the day on
the street and few people were passing.
Those who saw the tragedy say That they
heard pistol shot inside the house and n
moment later the front door New open ana
the young minister rushed down tie steps.
He had scarcely reached the front gaze
when Capt Fowler appeared at the door
with a pistol leveled at the minister and
immediately fired. The rector ran
down the street for about hun
bred wards and fell apparently Sc
verely wounded. The captain did not pursue
his victim, but returned into the house.
| The wounded rector was taken To the resi-
dence of DR.. Smith, also member OF the
Episcopal church. Three physicians exam
ined his wounds and pronounced them fatal.
One ball had entered the left side and was
buried in the vitals. When the young pas
tor was told he was likely to die very soon.
he asked to have his statement taken, and
voluntarily told those present that Capt.
Fowler was justified in shooting, and that
it was his wish that the captain should not
be punished. The rector signed state
ment to this effect which was written out
by friend. Those present at the bedside
OF the wounded man were members of his
church; and his explanation of the ag-
grayating cause that led Capt Fowler to
fire upon him is kept profound secret that
the regulations Of the parties concerned
may not suffer. When the case comes to
| trial the facts must necessarily become pub
| lie but those who know the secret refuse
| to divulge it before that time. 1t is sur
prising that in city OF less than 10, 600 i'll
| habitants, where the events of a day can
be summed up ina paragraph there, should
| be many
| RUMORS STARTED BY IDLE GOSSIPS
on learning of this terrible tragedy. In
terest i'll the case is greatly heightened by
the high standing of the parties concerned,
and the fact that Rev. Mr. Silver was only
recently appointed and was the subject of
| much discussion among Young women. He
was comparatively young man and UNI
married. He preached his first sermon Just
before Lent. The Episcopal church had
been without a rector for many months.
Mr. Silver was chosen for the place by
Bishop Hugh Miller Thompson. and it was
arranged that he should make his home
with the members of the church, boarding
for time with such as could conveniently
accommodate him. Last month he went to
the beautiful home of Capt. Fowler The
captain has charming wife and two pretty
children, and his pride in his home is known
and commented upon by all his friends. He
is travelling agent for wholesale grocery
house of New Orleans and is away upon
the road for the greater part of the week.
When inviting the young unmarried min
| lister to his house he thought, as he said to
| friends, that the rector would be pro-
tector to Mrs Fowler and the children. The
captains sudden return from his weekly
trip Oh the road was a surprise to his
| friends. and it is possible that the family
did not expect him. On entering the house
| he went straight to the minister's room. it
| is Said and the first shot was fired there
| 1t is not known whether any struggle took
| place, but if so it was very brief, for only
few moments elapsed between the first shot
and the minister's appearance oa the street.
| Mrs. Fowler had not been seen since the
fatal affair, being utterly Frustrated by the
news of her pastors death. Her friends
say there is not the slightest reflection upon
| her good name, and it was upon her COM
plant to her husband about improper con-
duct on the part OF the rector toward her
that the awful tragedy was enacted. The
| fact that Mr.. Silver was in his room is cited
as evidence that she is free from all slls-'
picion, and Capt Fowlers evident feelings
of kindness and love towards her since the
shooting would seem to suggest this asser-
| ton.
| The funeral of the young rector took
place from the church Of which he so lately
| took charge. The edifice was crowded by
members OF the society and people of
other denominations drawn there by
curiosity. The services were very simple.
| Leading members OF the church acted as
pall-bearers, and the remains were con-
signed to vault, pending word from
| relatives as to their wishes regarding the
burial place. Those who think they divine
the true facts in the case from the outward
circumstances, uphold Capt Fowler in his
action and say they would have done the
same thing under similar circumstances.
| A large portion OF the community. among
whom are leading members of the Episcopal
church, who were much attached to Mr..
SILVER, want more information of the cause
of the shooting before they consign the
character OF hitherto. upright and eXem-
| plary man to suspicion and oblouity.
| THE MARSHAL'S STORY,
Marshal Wright, Of Grenada, says that
| shortly after the shooting he went I'D to
Fowler and asked him for his pistol 1t
was delivered with the remark: II suppose
| | am your prisoner. but before YOU 20
wish to show you something" Fowler led
the way to the sitting room. where Silver
| occupied a rocking chair, and pointed ont
the spots occupied by each of the principals.
| when | approached Silver" remarked
Fowler. The arose with pistol in his hand.
In knocking the weapon from his hand my
| finger struck the hammer. inhicting
| g. slight flesh wound" Here Fowler
| stopped, and would say nothing
| more. After Silver was shot
he was carried over to the office of
DR.. Smith, who administered all
the relief possible. When he revived suf-
tcently to talk he said: Il see | am
among friends and may as well enlighten
| you all. | have deceived YOU about mat
tiers of religion, but trust have done
some good Mrs. Smith replied: Yes,
you have done some. good. and may do
more No chance for that replied the
wounded man, for l am bound to die"
| ''Stver game to Grenada, from Louisiana,
but the particular point 10 one knows. He
| was only licentiate sent here by Bishop
| Thompson. | am not positive as to the
| length of time he had been there, but it was
| sufficiently extended for him to become
| acquainted with nearly all the people,"
| Mrs. Fowler is woman of middle age
| She has two children IL and IA years old,
and was out of her teens when she married
She is a very handsome lady, however.
Fowler married daughter of Judge Gray